Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-06-24
LONG LIFE AND TOTAL ABSTI.
NENCE.
Some Very Significant Facts from the In
surance Records of England
From the Insurance Journal, London.]


From the Insurance Journal, London.]
The following letters to the London
Echo, written by DR.. Drysdale, the senior
physician to the Metropolitan Free Hos
pital, and of Mr.. W. E. Wright, will be
read with interest:
"S1R-One of the most difficult problems
in medicine is to get at the effect of any
particular habit on the longevity Of those
who practice it. If the statistics Of the
United Kingdom Temperance and General
Provident Institution are to be trusted,
then teetotalers live much longer than Or
binary moderate partakers of wine, beer,
and spirits. Indeed, the Blue Ribbon
Life, Accident, Mutual, and Indus
trial Insurance Company insures total alb
stainers at once at lower premium than is
asked by ordinary insurance companies,
because it calculates on their superior
longevity. Other companies insure against
accidents, and give greater facilities to total
abstainers: Such are the London, Edin-
burgh. and Glasgow Insurance Company,
and the Yorkshire and Lancashire Accident
Company (Limited). The working classes
also have two well-known benefit societies
which admit only abstainers, Viz, the In
dependent Order of Rechabltes and the
Sons of Temperance. With regard to the
latter society, was informed last year by
Mr.. w. Wightman that his society expert
ence gives quite overwhelming proof as to
the value of teetotalism in preventing sick
ness. That society has no less than no.
600 members. They have very much
lower mortality than either the An
cient Order of Foresters or the Man
chester Unity of Odd Fellows, both, Of
which are non abstaining benefit clubs
The mortality of the two last-named is
very greatly superior, especially after the
| age Of Al. Thus in 1884 there was the
very low death rate OF 81 per 10000 among
the members of the Sons of Temperance,
which is said to be less than one-half tha
of nom abstaining societies. The amount
| of sickness per annum for each member al
risk is stated, in the Sons Of Temperance,
to be 7.4S against 1920 among the mem
bers of the Manchester Odd Fellows, and
2G.20 among the Foresters. Mr.. Hunter,
some time ago, sent me the report of the
Independent Order of Rechabites, which
shows that in 1885 this society had 59,00u
members in this country, and altogether
about 100000 in Great Britain and the
colonies. Mr.. Thorney, in an ad-
dress delivered at Bolton, Nov. 9,
1881, said that there we're at that
time 3,400 Rechabites at Blackburn, Boil
ton, and Manchester; and their death rate
in 1876 was 1875 per 1000, while in Black
burn there were $500 Odd Fellows with a
death rate that year Of 21.42 per 1000.
Among the Reclhabites there were 1872 pei
cent. Of tie members sick that year against
2O.53 among the Odd Fellows. 1t would
seem that among the working Glasses the
same tale holds true as among the richer
classes of insurers: and that total abstin-
ence is not only not dangerous to the aver
| 1,,t In o,f1x
conducive to longevity. Your obedient
servant, C. H. DRYsDALE, NJ. D."
Mr.. Wright in reply says:
"Sir, have read with much interest the
letter from DR.. Drysdale on the subject of
temperance vital statistics which appeared
in your issue of yesterday. The expert
ence of the Scepter Life Association,
which for the last twenty-five years has
mad a Temperance Department, into which
none but total abstainers are admitted,
fully confirms the conclusion to which DIR.
Drysdale arrives, viz, that total absti-
nence is not only not dangerous, but emf
nently conducive to longevity In the
Temperance Section of that associa-
ton the number of lives at risk at the close
of last year was 1921, and the deaths
therein during the year only 20, being al
the rate of per 1000. In the previous
year, the mortality was at the rate Of only
4 per 1000. The average deaths in that
section for the last % years have been al
the remarkably low rate of 4.6 per 1000.
Some idea of the lowness of this rate may
be gathered from the fact that the Regis
trar Generals returns show that the aver
age rate of mortality for males between %
and As years Of age is fully 10 per 1000
The knowledge of these facts, together
with those adduced by DR.. Drysdale, should
ultimately lead to greater. efforts being
made by insurance companies to secure 8
class of business to which superior value
may clearly be attached. Yours truly,
"W. E. WRIGHT"